Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Pakistan instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

be 99.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In South Africa, 19.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Pakistan, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 4.4 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In Pakistan, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022.

be 69.6% less likely to be obese

In South Africa, 28.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Pakistan, that number is 8.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 80.4% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 55.6% lower top tax rate

South Africa has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2017. In Pakistan, the top tax rate is 20.0% as of 2016.

make 60.8% less money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $5,600 as of 2023.

be 31.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In South Africa, 16.6% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Pakistan, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

Life

have 44.1% more children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 25.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 21.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In South Africa, approximately 127.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Pakistan, 154.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.9% less likely to be literate

In South Africa, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Pakistan, it is 58.0% as of 2019.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Pakistan, on the other hand, 54.0 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 70.8% less likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Pakistan, about 21.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 63.6% less on education

South Africa spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Pakistan spends 2.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 67.4% less on healthcare

South Africa spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Pakistan, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 62.6% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Pakistan, that number is 1,046 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan, South African Revenue Service.

Pakistan: At a glance

Pakistan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 770,875 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.
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How big is Pakistan compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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